Coin-controlled bottle dispenser



Filed June 29, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 15, 1957 s. WATLINGTONCOIN-CONTROLLED BOTTLE DISPENSER 2 Sheets-Shaw?I 2 Filed June 29', 1953INVENTOR. n Ef 5. Mar/verm United States Patent() COIN-CONTROLLER)BOTTLE DlSPENSER Lee S. Watlington, Bloomington, lll.

Application lune 29, 1953, Serial No. 364,598

4 Claims. (CI. 221-133) My invention relates to new and usefulimprovements in a coin-controlled bottle dispenser from which one of aplurality of bottles stored in the dispenser Amay be selected andmanually removed therefrom upon the deposit of a required coin, whilethe removal of the remaining stored bottles is prevented.

An Vobject of the invention is to provide a mechanism for accomplishingthe foregoing, which is more effective in preventing unauthorized orfelonious removal of a bottle, than mechanisms now in commercial use.

Another and equally important object of the invention is the provisionof a simplified form of construction of such mechanism which results inmore economical manufacture and less likelihood of becoming inoperative.

Yet another and equally important `object of the invention is to providea simplified combination of elements which permits the manualpositioning of a selected bottle in a delivery area while preventingmovement of other bottles to such area until the selected bottle ismanually removed from the delivery area.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of partsto be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

Fig. l is a fragmentary perspective View of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the same viewed in the direction ofthe arrow in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the parts thereof indilerent positions with respect to each other; v

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional detail view taken substantially online 4 4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail view showing a modied form of constructionof a bottle support which may be incorporated in the form shown in Fig.l.

ln the structure illustrated l have shown only so much of the cabinet asis deemed necessary for a clear understanding of the invention, it beingunderstood that any approved dispensing cabinet, insulated and equippedwith refrigeration or capable of holding a quantity of ice packed aboutbottles stored in the cabinet, may have my invention incorporatedtherein.

In this connection there is provided a wall on which a plurality ofbottles 11 containing the same or different flavored beverages aresupported.

Suitably spaced above the wall 10 is a partition 12 preferablycomprising 'a plurality of elongated bars '13 horizontally arranged inspaced relation with respect to each other and beneath which the bottlesare positioned within linger reach through the space between such barsor with the bottle necks 14 slightly projecting above such bars. In thislatter connection the space between the ice bars 13 is of such distanceas to permit the insertion of the ngers of the hand to grasp the neck orother portion of the bottle and individually move the same into a commonrunway or guideway 15 located at one side of a wall 16.

The runway 15 has communication with each of the spaces between the bars13 and in turn has communication with a delivery area 17 provided by anenclosure consisting of oppositely disposed side walls 18 and a joiningwall 19.

The front side of the enclosure opens into the runway 15 to provide apassage for a selected bottle from the runway 15 into the delivery area17 As previously pointed out, it is an object of my invention to providea simplified and effective arrangement for permitting the manualmovement of a selected bottle from the guideway 15 to the delivery area17 and its removal from such area, while preventing a second bottle tobe moved from the runway 1 5' into the delivery 4area 17 until theselected bottle has been removed from the delivery area.

I accomplish this object by providing a pair of relatively hatrectangularly shaped platesV 19. These plates 19 are hingedly secured,by means of suitable hinges 26, to the adjacent top edges of the walls1S. Such plates 19 are adapted to be pivoted about their hingedconnection from and into a substantially horizontal position. When Vin ahorizontal position the confronting edges 21 of the plates 19 'aresuitably spaced apart a distance suicient to permit the fingers to. beinserted into the upper portion of the enclosure into grasping relationwith respect to a selected bottle 14. Such space, h owever, is not of asucient width to permit the body 2 2 of the bottle to pass between theplates 19.

Depending from the plates 19 are angularly shaped lugs 22. These lugsare connected as at 23 to an operating link 24 on opposite sides of lapintle 25 Bivotally connecting the link 24 to the wall 19. To one endportion 26 of this link 24 is connected an operating rod 27 which iscontrolled in its operation by a suitable coin selector (not shown).Such selector may be of any standard construction now on the market, andhas not been shown in the drawings nor described herein because the sameconstitutes no part of the present invention.

The wall 16 yalong its upper and lower edges provides confronting guidegrooves 28. Engaging in these guide grooves 28 are the top and loweredge portions of oppositely disposed plates 29. It is intended thatthese plates 29 be normally disposed apart from eac-h other when theplates 19 are in bottle blocking position. This permits a selectedbottle to be manually moved from one of the spaces between the bars 13into the runway 15 andthence into the delivery area 17. 1t is intendedthat when the plates 19 are disposed from `bottle blocking position thatthe plates 29 be moved into bottle blocking position.

This I accomplish by providing in each of the plates 29 a substantiallyarcuate slot 3G. In each of these slots 38 operates a roller element 31.This roller element 31 is carried by a flange 32 of an arm 33, thelatter'secured by spot welding or the like to the plates 19.

The plates 29 are supported in the grooves 2S by bars 34 having theircorresponding upper end portions pivotally connected as at 35 to theWall 16 and their lower end portions as at V36 to the plates 29.

It will be noted that the curvature of the upper run 37 of each of theslots 30 is not so sharp as the curvature of the lower run 38 of suchslots. The reason for this will be found in the fact that as the roller31 of each of the arms 33 acts upon the plates 29, such plates will moveinto bottle obstructing position prior to the movement of the plates 19from bottle obstructing position. Such an arrangement prevents anddiscourages a purchaser from attempting to move a second bottle from therunway into the delivery area until thev selected bottle has beenremoved from such area. Y

Upon unlatching of the operating rod 27 by the action of a coin, in amanner well known in the art, and upon manual movement of such rod 27 ina direction of its length or to the right as viewed in Fig. 1, theoperating link 24 will be pivoted in an anti-clockwise direction. Thismovement of the operating link 24 will in turn move theplates 29 towardeach other and pivot the plates 19 away from each other about ahorizontal axis. However, as previously pointed out, prior to the timethat the plates Y19 are disposed apart from each other a sufficientdistance to permit the selected bottle to betremoved, the plates 29 willbe moved toward each other a sutiicient distance to prevent a secondbottle from being moved into Vfrom the delivery area until the plates 19have been pivoted a suiiicient distance to permit the selected bottle tobe lifted upwardly between the plates 19 from the delivery area.

By this arrangement I have provided a simplified and efficientconstruction for preventing withdrawal of a bottle from the bottledispenser without first making payment for such bottle.

Frequently the beverage or drink is vended in bottles shorter in heightthan other bottles containing beverages, and it frequently happens thatsuch bottles are vended from a machine intended for the vending oftaller bottles. In such case, it is often difficult for the purchaser toreach the `shorter bottle.V Anticipating such difficulties, I haveprovided what might be properly termed as a sub-bottom which may bearranged above the bottom wall both in the storage compartment'and inthe delivery area.

In such ycases where a sub-bottom is to be employed, I provide suchsub-bottom 40 with flanges 39 (Fig. 5). These flanges are connected atpredetermined points to the walls 18 and to the inner walls of thedispenser apparatus by suitable nut-bearing bolts 41 or the like. Thebottles are then supported on this sub-bottom 40 with their neckportions either disposed between the bars 13 or slightly therebelowWithin reaching distance of the hand of the purchaser.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that I have provided amechanism which is effective for its intended purpose, simple inconstruction, keasy of operation, and economical in manufacture. Y

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form ofconstruction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable ofvariation and modification Without departing from the spirit of theinvention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precisedetails of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of suchvariations and modifications as come within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

1. A dispensing apparatus having a storage chamber for bottles orcartons, one vertical wall of said chamber having formed in thehorizontal edges thereof opposite guiding grooves, a partition in saidchamber above the bottom wall thereof and having a plurality ofparallelly extending slots, said chamber having a guideway common tosaid slots, said vertical wall having formed therein a bottle passagehaving communication with said guideway, an enclosure carried by saidvertical wall providing an open top delivery area having communicationthrough said bottle passage with said guideway, a pair of oppositelydisposed plates extending in a vertical direction with respect to saidvertical wall and movable in parallel relation with respect to said wallwith edge portions engaging in said grooves and having arcuate slotsformed therein, a pair of bottle obstructing members pivotally carriedin a horizontal plane by said enclosure and movable about a horizontalaxis into and from bottle obstructing position with respect to the opentop, means for pivotally moving said members from and into bottleobstructing position with respect to said open top, andy arms extendingfrom said members and having means engaging said slots for camming saidplates into bottle obstructing position with respect to said bottlepassage prior to movement of said members from bottle obstructingposition with respect to said open top.

2. A dispensing apparatus having a storage chamber for bottles orcartons, one vertical wall of said chamber having formed in thehorizontal edges thereofopposite guiding grooves, a partition in saidchamberV above the bottom wall thereof and having a plurality ofparallelly extending slots, said chamber having a guideway common tosaid slots, said vertical wall having formed therein a bottle passagehaving communication with said guideway, an enclosure carried by saidvertical wall providing an open top delivery area having communicationthrough said bottle passage with said guideway, a pair of oppositelydisposed plates extending in a vertical `direction with respect to saidvertical wall and movable in parallel relation with respect to said wallwith edge portions engaging in said grooves and having arcuate slotsformed therein, a pair of bottle obstructing members pivotally carriedin a horizontal plane by said enclosure and movable about a horizontalaxis into and from bottle obstructing position with respect to the opentop, means for pivotally moving said members from and into bottleobstructing position with respect to said open top, arms extending fromsaid members and having means engaging said slots for camming saidplates into bottle obstructing position with respect to said bottlepassage prior to movement of said members from bottle obstructingposition With respect to said open top, and elongated bars havingcorresponding end portions pivotally connected to corresponding edgeportions of said plates and opposite end portions pivotally connected tosaid vertical wall for supporting said plates for movement parallel withrespect to said vertical wall. t

3. A dispensing apparatus having a wall` provided with a bottle passage,an enclosure spanning said passage and providing a delivery chambercommunicating with the passage and having an open top through which abottle manually moved into said enclosure through said passage may bemanually passed, said wall on opposite sides of said passage havinghorizontally extending aligned guiding grooves along its top and bottomedges, aligned plates of substantially rectangular shape mounted formovement in parallel relation with respect to the wall on opposite sidesof the passage, into and from obstructing position with respect to saidpassage and having opposite corresponding edge portions slidablyengaging said grooves, oppositely disposed substantially rectangularlyshaped plates hinged to the enclosure along corresponding edges thereofand movable into Aand from obstructing position with respect to the opentop, and means for simultaneously moving said aligned plates and saidoppositely disposed plates.

4. A dispensing apparatus having a wall provided with a bottle passage,an enclosure spanning said passage and providing a delivery chambercommunicating `with the v oppositely disposed substantialiyrectangularly shaped plates hinged to the enclosure along correspondingedges thereof and movable into and from obstructing position withrespect to the open top, means for simultaneously moving said alignedplates and said oppositely disposed plates, said means including a linkpivoted intermediate its end portions to a wall of said enclosure, linksoperatively connecting said link at opposite sides of its pivotalconnection to said Wall to said oppositely disposed plates, armsextending from said oppositely disposed plates, roller elements on thefree end of said arms, said aligned plates having arcuate slots formedtherein and said roller elements operatively engaging in said slots, andan operating rod having one end connected to one end of said link.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSGoldsmith Jan. 2l, 1896 Moiet Dec. 17, 1912 Hoopes Apr. 30, 1929 Bakeret al Apr. 12, 1938 Mutchler Sept. 9, 1941 Cunningham Oct. 7, 1941Forsthoefel et al Oct. 19, 1943 Warner et al July 1l, 1950 Palmos May 6,1952 Warner et al May 5, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Dec. 14,1936

